Nubere Mihi?
by alluras-castle
Summary: That...that was not quite what he had been expecting. And then, his stillness is shattered with a sharp intake of air and the word "yes" tumbling out of his mouth before he even realizes he's saying it.


Tevene (mangled Latin) to Trade (English) translations:

 _"Non est hoc novum, sed te amo plurimum."_ —This is nothing new, but I love you (so) very much.

 _"Te quoque amo."_ —I love you too.

* * *

"Do you remember how we met?" Rilienus asks him, senselessly tracing swirls on Dorian's bare mocha skin.

Dorian opens an eye to observe his lover, propped up on his elbow with his long dark chocolate curls falling messily down his back and over his shoulders—Dorian always enjoys seeing his tresses unruly, but only when _he_ is the reason they're not tidy and pulled back, carefully, into a half-ponytail—and a soft expression on his features.

"Of course I do, Amatus." Dorian answers honestly. He reaches up a hand to trail the long, silky strands through his fingers.

The question was probably rhetorical anyway.

It was hard to forget having, although accidentally, a glass of red wine dumped all over him at one of Alexius' soirées by such a fine looking man his age, entirely horrified and apologetic that he stained such wonderful white and gold robes. He had just left Aurelian's tutelage then. "Gotten away" as it were.

Rilienus closes his amber eyes for a moment, exhaling gently. Then, he too raises a hand—the one that was caressing Dorian's chest—and grabs Dorian's tenderly. He brings them to his lips, and kisses Dorian's palm firmly. "I was just thinking..." he starts, his eyes open again and Dorian can't help but stare into them. His lover shifts beside him, pulling himself up to straddle his waist, face hovering barely inches above Dorian's; Rilienus' hair, still pulled back albeit sloppily, tickles where the tips brush against his own shoulders. "That was over ten years ago, wasn't it?"

"Eleven," Dorian agrees, sliding his hands up Rilienus' thighs, smooth and calloused pads greedily relishing the feel of Rilienus' caramel skin underhand, to rest on his hips.

Rilienus laughs, and his lips curl so completely with the action, and hides his face for a moment in Dorian's neck. "We're thirty one," he says, voice muffled but happy. Dorian has a suspicion that this isn't part of Rilienus' original line of thinking, but he's grinning anyway. Rilienus breathes out against his neck—which was undoubtedly for a purpose—before adding, "I can't believe we're thirty one. We're getting old, Amatus."

Dorian's chest flares with warmth, and if he's honest—he doesn't mind the "getting old" part, as long as long as it isn't spent _without_ Rilienus. _Again,_ a thought supplies; he ignores it, instead finding himself chuckling, preparing himself to cup his inamorato's chin.

He doesn't have to; Rilienus presses a kiss to his collarbone. Once, twice. Then presses his lips to Dorian's, and he melts into the languid, unhurried kiss. Hands, worn but not rough, cup his face fervently. Dorian makes a pleased noise like a moan, squeezing his hips in return.

There's warmth to the kiss—deeply seated—but no heat, so to speak. Dorian wants to pull Rilienus back down when he pulls away, still hovering close but not close _enough,_ and his lips are parted almost wonderingly and his eyes are only half-lidded and filled to the brim with adoration. "Non est hoc novum, sed te amo plurimum." Rilienus breaths in "their" tongue, grinning broadly while his thumbs lightly smoothing over Dorian's cheeks. "I love you," he repeats in common.

Dorian sits up—Rilienus adjusts easily, and Dorian can't help but internally note they've been in this position quite a few times—and crushes their lips together. This time, it's hungry and passionate and demanding, and Rilienus returns it enthusiastically, teasing Dorian's bottom lip between his teeth when he pulls back just enough to say, "Te quoque amo." He fists a hand in Rilienus' hair, taking a moment for his fingers to massage at his scalp and elicit a moan from him, and pulls him closer. Rilienus drops the corresponding hand, pressing the palm against his chest until he chuckles that he can feel Dorian's heartbeat.

Dorian rests his forehead against his lover's, making an amused noise, and idly kneads at the back of his head. Rilienus hums appreciatively, brushing their noses together and letting his other arm assume a position looping around his neck. He rubs circles over Dorian's heart, again, and his other hand keeps absently stroking his spine.

"Mm..." Rilienus presses his lips gently to Dorian's, the contact agonizingly light even as Dorian loves the tender display. "It was about time, huh?" Another kiss, this one firmer than the last. Dorian curves his mouth and tilts his head in an act of cooperation. "That we stopped..." he trails, forehead to forehead again. "...being idiots." Rilienus finishes eloquently, but fondly. Oh-so affectionately. "I still enjoyed all the time with you, though. Even when we were dancing around each other, trying to keep an arm's length between us-" _which never worked,_ Dorian thinks, even as he wonders where this... _confession_ is going. "-it still meant a lot—everything, maybe," he muses for half a moment, before resuming, "to be with you. And to be with you now..." he glides his hand up to Dorian's shoulder, eyes fixing on his beauty mark. For a moment, he opens his mouth but no words come out. Dorian shifts, but doesn't interrupt, while trailing fingertips up and down Rilienus' arm. Goose-flesh rises pleasantly along his skin, and Rilienus spares the hand a long glance. "...would you— _will_ you marry me?" he asks finally, biting his bottom lip.

His hands both stop, in a way that can perhaps be described as abrupt. _He_ stops, eyes desperately searching Rilienus' face.

That...that was not quite what he had been expecting.

And then, his stillness is shattered with a sharp intake of air and the word "yes" tumbling out of his mouth before he even realizes he's saying it. It's worth it, to see the relief and happiness wash over Rilienus' expression and posture. For the way they pull each other into a deep, heated, _l_ _ong_ kiss, and touch with unfettered want and lay together with more passion than normal—if that were even possible.

For the way the word "husband" rolls of his tongue and the way it sounds passing from Rilienus' lips.

* * *

I wasn't expecting to write a marriage proposal when I started; I just wanted the boys saying "I love you" in Tevene and being naked but not being smutty. I could be persuaded to write a sequel (or sequels)...

I have a tumblr account under mooncloudpanther; if you're interested~ you could go check out it and my My OCs page out


End file.
